Article of luggage



211/94, 94.5, 46, 113, l 16; 206/71 1, K, M; 3l2/1nq o United States Patent [1113,542,170

[72] Inventor Walter Blalo [56] References Cited 76 Seacord Road, New-Rochelle, New York UNITED STATES PATENTS 10801 1 1, 63,216 41918 E 21 1 Appl. No. 725,454 2 f 1,709,811 4/1929 Rutter 211/945 [22] Filed Aprll 30, 1968 N 24 1970 1,717,078 6/1929 Wheary... 211/94 [451 meme 1,747,544 2/1930 Guiden.... 211/945 1,968,579 7/1934 Wheat'y l90/41(-2)UX 2,214,118 9/1940 Bracken 21 1/94 Primary Examiner- Donald F. Norton Attorney-Kenneth S. Goldfarb 7 Clalms, 12 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl. 190/41, ABSTRACT: A portable wardrobe which carries articles of 190/43, 21 1/94, 223/88 clothing inan extended position upon a locking garment sup- 1 [5 1 Int. Cl. A45c 3/00- port bar attached to one of its peripheral walls. Means are pro- '[50] Fleld of Search .Q 190/41 (all), 43: vided for receiving hangers and for preventing the hangers from accidental disengagement from the support bar.

\"llllllllllllll Patept ed Nov. 24, 1970 Sheet 'ARricLE or LUGGAGE I ofa versatile article of luggage designedtohold mens suits ineluding coats and trousers, ladies dresses and like garments in an extended position and without requirement of folding the garments to enable them to fit in the luggage.

A further object of the invention resides in theprovision of an article of luggagehaving hanger means for supporting various articles of clothes, such as coats, trousers, dresses and the like in a normal position utilizing hangers which may be ,securely locked in placewithin the article of luggage and which may be removed foruse in hanging the garments on a conventional garment pole or rack.

The construction of this invention features an arrangement of a garment support bar and extension which extension provides means for facilitating the positioning of the garments within the garment bag and when not in use and with the garments ready for travelling is employed for lockingly holding the garments on the support therefor.

A further object of the present invention resides in the provision of a versatile article of luggage employing anarrangement of a panel having various compartments formed thereon and detachable therefrom for carrying such items as shirts, socks, dirty clothes and the like separate from the other garments and which is secured to the article of luggage by means of slide fasteners in a convenient manner so as to retain all ofthe garments in position in a dirt and dust free manner.

Yet another object of the present invention resides in the provision of a hanger having means for conveniently supporting on the hanger various garments such as trousers in a manner'which frictionally prevent the trousers from sliding off the hanger and which can conveniently support neckties and a suit coat thereon.

Still further objects and features of this inventionreside in the provision of an article of luggage that is attractive in appea'rance, extremely durable, capable of being easily manufactured out of readilyfavailable materials and which is provided with means for securing it in a compact closed position and theft resistent, yet which is. especially convenient to use and carry.

These, together with the various ancillary objects and features of the invention, which will become apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by this article ofluggage, a preferred embodiment of which is shown in the accompanying drawings, by way ofexample only, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of, the article of luggage in an open position showing its panel section constructed in accordance with the conceptsof the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded side elevational view of the article of luggage panel section;

FIG. 3 is a partial rear elevational view of the panel section taken along the plane ofiine 3-3 of FIG. 2;

' FIG. 4 is a partial elevational view of the top portion show ing the interior of the article of luggage with the panel section removed from looking along the plane of-line 4-4-in FIG.'2;

FIG. 5 is a horizontal sectional view of the top portion of the interior of the article of luggage taken along the plane line of line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. is another horizontal sectional view of'the top por-- tion of the interior of the article of luggage taken along the plane of line 6-6 of FIG. 4, with the U-shaped support members pivoted to their opened position; i

FIGS. 7 and 8 are partial elevational views of the top portion of a hanger constructed in accordance with this invention shown respectively in different positions of the pivotally mounted hook;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged partial sectional view illustrating the manner of attachment of the pivotally mounted hook of a hanger to a hanger receiving member constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a rear elevational view of an article of luggage in open position constructed in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the article of luggage in a closed position; and,

FIG. 12 is a front elevational view of a modified form of hanger having a pivotallymounted hook. I

With continuing reference to'the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, reference numeral generally designates an article of luggage constructed in accordance with the concepts of the present invention. The article of luggage 20 is of a generally rectangular shape and includes a container section generally indicated at 21 which is provided with a peripheral wall 22 having a peripheral flange of fabric 23 on which one half of a'slidable fastener is secured and which interengages with the corresponding slidable fastener half on a panel section 24. The slidable fastening is indicated at 26. The

peripheral wall 22, formed by covering two rigid U-shaped frames 25 and 27 which are spaced at a distance from each other with,for example, a synthetic plastic fabric material so as to provide a'foldable center portion, is joined to the interior of the bottom of the container section by two U-shaped metal frame support bars, not shown, each extending the entire width of the bottom of the container section and bolted or riveted to opposite walls. On the frame 25 there is secured by rivets or like means a pair of garment support bars 39, each of which comprises a hanger receiving member 40 and extension member 42. Garment support bars 39 will be described more fully hereinafter.

Referring now to FIG. 1', the panel section 24, manufactured from any suitably sturdy fabric, is provided with nonremovable fabric pockets 28, 29 having slidable fastening closures 30, 31. The panel section 24 includes a detachable fabric envelope 32 and a detachable fabric bag 34. Fabric envelope 32 is equipped with a slide fastener 36 and may be removed from fabric panel section 34 by unfastening slidable removal means 38. Moreover, when the fabric envelope 32 is plastic lined, it is particularly suitable for the carrying of toiletries, fluids, spillable items and the like. Fabric bag 34, havinga slide fastener 37 is secured by metal clips 59 to a reinforcing strip of material 52 sewn across the width of panel section 34 having buckles 54 at each end which interconnect with perforated tongues of straps 56 located at the exterior of peripheral wall 22 when the luggage is readied for travelling. Fabric bag 44 may be conveniently used to carry small items such as socks, handkerchiefs and the like. At the uppermost rear portion of panel section 24 is a hook 58 which facilitates the hanging of panel section 24 on a conventional garment pole or rack when the traveller arrives at his destination.

Referring in particular to FIGS. 4 through 6 and 9, the garment support bars 39 are formed of sheet metal and are secured to the interior of peripheral wall 22 by any suitablemeans, e.g., bolting, riveting, etc. The bracket portions 46 of the metal garment support bars 39 lie flush against the interior of the luggage. Hanger receiving members 40 are generally C- shaped and are provided with elongated channeled openings 48 in their lower portions as can best be seen in FIGS. 4 and 9.

Extension members 42 have their free ends connected by pivotal means 60 to the hanger receiving member 40 and are of an elongated U-shapehaving spaced leg portions.

Thus, hangerreceiving member 40 will receive a hanger having a pivotally mounted hook 62 such as that shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. When an extension member 42 is in a closed or normal position with respect to hanger receiving member 40, hangers will be securely locked within the article of luggage and held in place by the extension member 42. By pivoting extension member 40 to an open position extending linearly in alignment with and beyond hanger receiving member 40, a hanger may be slid along and thereby removed from extension member 42. The central connecting portions 50 of the extension members form stops for preventing accidental disengage ment ofa hanger.

With reference to FIG. 12, this invention further conceives of a novel hanger 63 having integrally attached to the downwardly extending ends of its yoke and widely spaced from its center a central garment support bar 64 and a lower garment retaining support bar 66 which is spaced a lesser distance from central garment support bar 64 than the distance between the center of the yoke and central garment support bar 64. The lowergarment support bar 66 is integrally attached at both of its ends to the central garment support bar 64 so as to form two inwardly directed pockets or hooks 68 which may be utilized to carry belts, and garments having two loops sewn to their insides, such as women's skirts. The combination of central garment support bar 64 and lower garment support bar 66 is readily adaptable to the frictional carrying of mens or womens slacks or trousers, thereby preventing such garments from sliding off the hanger. Also, closely spaced from and integral with the center of the yoke is an upper garment support bar 70 which is less than half the length of central garment support bar 64. The upper garment support bar having two raised ridges 72, can conveniently support neckties and the like. Finally, the hanger 63 has a hook 65, pivotally mounted thereon, adapted to engage a hanger receiving member in a manner similar to that in which pivotally mounted hook 62 connects hanger receiving member 40.

A pair ofcombination lock assemblies 86, FIG. 11, are used on either side of the luggage to hold the luggage in its closed position for travelling.

A latitude of modification, substitution and change, is intended in the foregoing disclosure, and in some instances some features of the present invention may be employed without a corresponding use of other features.

lclaim:

1. An article of luggage comprising an outer casing having attached to one side of the peripheral wall thereof at least one locking hanger support means, said support means including a hanger receiving member having a channeled opening therein, said member having a longitudinal axis, an extension member of narrower width than said hanger receiving member and having spaced leg portions, means pivoting said extension member to said hanger receiving member for movement from a closed position normal to said hanger receiving member to an open position extending linearly in alinement with and beyond said hanger receiving member and in the same direction as said axis so that when said extension member is in its said closed position said extension means forms a stop for preventing removal of a hanger from said hanger receiving member and when said extension member is in its open position said extension member facilitates removal of a hanger from said hanger receiving member.

2. An article of luggage according to claim 1, wherein said hanger receiving member is of substantially C-shape having an upper bracket portion lying flush with the interior of said peripheral wall, said hanger receiving member having a lower portion provided with said channeled opening therein, said opening being elongated.

3. An article of luggage according to claim 2, wherein said extension member is substantially U-shaped.

4. An article of luggage according to claim 3, wherein said U-shaped extension member has a pair of free ends, one of said free ends being pivotally attached to said upper bracket portion of said C-shaped hanger receiving member, the other free end being pivotally attached to said lower portion of said C-shaped hanger receiving member.

' 5. An article of luggage having a peripheral wall,a hanger support means secured to said wall and having an elongated channeled opening therein provided with a raised portion, said elongated channeled opening being adapted to receive a plurality of hangers whose pivotally mounted hooks rest upon said raised portion of said elongated channeled opening, and an extension member pivotally attached to said hanger support means for locking said hangers in their position upon said hanger support means when said extension member is in a closed position normal to said elongated channeled opening in said hanger support means. I

6. An article of luggage according to claim 5, wherein said hanger support means comprises a substantially C-shaped hanger receiving member provided with an upper bracket portion lying flush with the interior of said peripheral wall.

7. An article of luggage according to claim 6, wherein said extension member is substantially U-shaped, one of the free ends of said U-shaped extension member being pivotally attached to said upper bracket portion of said C-shaped hanger receiving member. 

